A second shot at success
Nicholas Lester Tran seized another chance to work harder towards his goals at James Cook University
Charlotte Kng
Dec 19, 2019
When Mr Nicholas Lester Tran did not perform as well as he had expected for his IGCSE A-level exams, he thought his hopes to further his studies in a university were dashed. But he decided to give it a shot and enrolled in a diploma programme at the Singapore campus of James Cook University. Not only did he do well, but he also made it to the dean’s list and will soon graduate with a bachelor’s degree.
“The eight-month diploma course at JCU gave me a chance to resume my dreams in pursuing a bachelor’s degree,” says the 21-year-old.
Upon completion of JCU’s Diploma of Higher Education (Majoring in Business Studies), students may be given advanced standing of eight subjects into the Bachelor of Business Program. Once secured, eight subject exemptions would be awarded for the bachelor’s degree course.
Mr Tran’s hard work paid off. He says: “Scoring a GPA of 6.5 for my first term of the diploma course and getting on the dean’s list was an exceptionally memorable moment for me. It certainly was a proud moment and drove me to work even harder.”
Renewed interest in learning
The dynamic teaching methodology of the degree programme took Mr Tran by surprise.
“My time here has been truly exciting. Learning at JCU involves real-life applications and first-hand experiences that keep me thrilled to learn,” he says.
For instance, Mr Tran and his classmates were tasked to attend a court hearing before providing a detailed analysis of the court functions for their Business Law module. They also visited various cafes in Singapore to analyse their operations and processes for an essay on marketing techniques for a marketing module.
“JCU has changed my perspective of education and success,” says Mr Tran. “I have become increasingly aware of my potential and accomplishments. Most importantly, I have learnt that the pursuit of knowledge can be exciting if you make it to be so.”
